Middles Who Owned the Net at the Katy Cy-Fair Tournament

One of the most competitive and traditional high school volleyball preseason events in the Houston area, the Katy ISD-Cy Fair ISD Tournament took place this past weekend, reuniting 48 varsity teams on six high school campuses in the Katy and Cypress regions between Thursday and Saturday.   It was a great opportunity for us at Prep Dig Texas to see how teams from different regions of the Lone Star State are shaping up ahead of the start of district play, and, by attending matches in the first two days of action, we got to watch as many as 21 participating teams.   <a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/08/katy-cy-fair-tournament-day-1-photos-katy-hs-2/?itm_source=parsely-api">Day 1 Photos - Katy HS </a><a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/08/katy-cy-fair-tournament-day-1-photos-katy-taylor-hs/?itm_source=parsely-api">Day 1 Photos - Katy Taylor HS </a><a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/08/katy-cy-fair-tournament-day-2-photos-katy-taylor-hs/">Day 2 Photos - Katy Taylor HS</a>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/Db__M3ajhIH </div></figure>   After two intense days of coverage, we're now taking the week to feature some of the players who stood out in the matches we attended. These were the middles who made the most impact at the net:    Hornes was with the Tomball team that nearly went undefeated in the event, registering seven wins and a loss. Standing at 6'1", she used her length and physical power to provide her team with a strong presence at the net. Hornes moved very well laterally and was very aggressive and effective with her blocking, getting to the pins on time and keeping opponents under pressure. Her offense also played a big part in Tomball's success, as the senior not only stood out for her ability to hit different sets in the middle and the pins, but also sustained a consistently strong level up at the net, carrying a big load in the team's scoring efforts.      Tinnell and her College Park team had a positive weekend, earning six wins and two losses. The junior was one of the most impactful players in the entire event, doing well in basically every area of the game. Tinnell's blocking was very present and productive, as she not only moved well and went very high up at the net, but also demonstrated excellent timing, delaying her jump on some occasions just so she could stop tips. Her offense was very consistent and efficient, thanks to her high contact point and remarkable firepower. Tinnell also did well with her serving, often getting opponents out of system, and contributed on defense with solid positioning and good ball control.      Harrell featured for the Tomball Memorial team that produced five wins and two losses in the event. The six-foot-tall senior was one of their most productive players at the net, appearing well on both sides of the ball. Harrell made the most of her height and physicality offensively, making contact with the ball at a high point, hitting it hard and angling her swings well so she could avoid blockers and defenders. She also delivered defensively, using her long arms to take up space from opposing hitters with her big block.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/08/2J4A0014.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1018572" /></figure>    Rusher and Oak Ridge completed their schedule with four wins and four losses. The senior was unstoppable offensively, being not only an interesting option for them at the net, but in fact one of their main scoring threats throughout the weekend. Rusher demonstrated incredible power and left opponents with no answers with her strong approach, impressive vertical and quick and powerful right arm. She also got the job done defensively, providing a solid blocking presence and being ready to win 50-50 duels and jousts at the net.      Knuppel was part of the Canyon team that had four wins and four losses. Despite battling taller opponents, she held her own at the net, making the most of her mobility and playing with remarkable intensity. Knuppel thrived with her shot selection, was very present and disciplined with her blocking and did well when dealing with overpasses. The senior was excellent from the service line, putting opponents under pressure with her great top spin jump serve and going on long runs that helped Canyon score points in a row.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/08/2J4A0074.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1018595" /></figure>    Robinson was one of the top players on the Travis team that completed the week with two wins and six losses. One of the tallest players in the entire event, she was very effective with her blocking, showing good mobility to get to the pins and hand placement to get many touches and slow opponents down at the net. Robinson's length also helped her offensively, as even when she wasn't able to make contact with the ball in the cleanest way, she would still be able to put it down. The junior showed some versatility, too, playing on the right when needed.

One of the most competitive and traditional high school volleyball preseason events in the Houston area, the Katy ISD-Cy Fair ISD Tournament took place this past weekend, reuniting 48 varsity teams on six high school campuses in the Katy and Cypress regions between Thursday and Saturday.